


Moving Forward

by what_a_gust



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-04
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2019-06-21 20:56:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15566259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/what_a_gust/pseuds/what_a_gust
Summary: What I wish happened after Chris swiped Tobin's hand off her shoulder.





	Moving Forward

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first time I've ever written a short fictional story, let alone fanfic, but I think it's okay and I hope you enjoy.

The bus was buzzing with excitement as the team found their seats for the ride back to the hotel. Everyone seemed to be in high spirits, even Alex, who had had to be carried off the field on a stretcher at the last minute. Everyone, that is, expect Tobin.

As she took her seat next to Christen, she nervously started to bounce her leg.

“Babe, the game is over and we won. What could possibly be making you anxious?” asked Chris, who hadn’t looked up from her phone since Tobin sat down.

The shaking stopped. “Umm, I’m really sorry,” Tobin whispered.

“What? Why?”

“I shouldn’t have put my arm around you after the game. That wasn’t cool. I know how you feel and I should have been more respectful,” Tobin explained cautiously.

Christen finally looked up from her phone to see Tobin sitting with her knees pulled up and her chin resting on them.

“There’s no need to be sorry. I’m sure it just looked like you were being silly and I wasn’t in the mood to goof around. There’s no harm in that,” Chris responded as she laced her fingers through Tobin’s on seat between them.

“Are you sure?”

“Of course I am. Don’t you think I would have said something already if I was upset? I would like to think I’m pretty open with you about that sort of thing. Why is it bothering you so much?

“It’s just getting really hard,” Tobin answered, turning away from Christen again.

“Babe, look at me. What is?”

“Hiding.”

Christen took a deep breath, giving herself a moment to collect her thoughts. “I don’t think the bus is really the right place to have this conversation. But I love you. And, I think you’re right. We should talk about this. I think tonight we should focus on getting a good night’s sleep but maybe I could take you out for coffee in the morning and we could talk about it then?”

Tobin looked up at Christen and when she saw the look of love and hope and understanding in Christen’s eyes, her worry started to melt away. “Ok, so now you’re just using me as an excuse to get coffee. I see how it is, Press,” Tobin chided as she nudged Christen with her elbow.  
“There you are. I missed you while you were being all sentimental,” Chris responded, glad that she and Tobin were on the same page again and back to being their usual selves.

For the rest of the bus ride, Christen sat with her head nestled in Tobin’s shoulder and playing gently with her fingers while Tobin leaned around the back of the seat in front of her to chat with Allie and Alex.

\---

By the time the bus arrived back at the hotel, almost everyone had mellowed out and was ready for bed, especially with the early flights that many of them had in order to get back to their clubs.

When the doors opened and people had collected their stuff and started to pile off, Tobin moved to go when she felt a gentle tug on her wrist.

“Wait for me,” Chris mumbled as she put the last few things in her purse.

Tobin was surprised but figured she’d take what she could get and moved back out of the aisle until Christen was ready to go. As they were walking down the stairs at the front of the bus, Tobin started to loosen her grip on Christen’s hand. Before she could let go, she felt Christen push their palms back together, scrunching her fingers up to secure her grip. Tobin glanced down between them but kept walking. 

Does she think I’m going to leave her if she doesn’t start being affectionate with me in public? Should I not have said anything? What if she’s not ready and is just pushing herself to make me happy? Tobin thought as they entered the lobby of the hotel, fingers still intertwined. 

“Babe. It’s fine. I want to hold your hand,” Tobin heard as they made their way toward the elevators pulling her out of her worry.

When they stepped into the elevator Tobin made her way to the back, leaning against the mirror as Christen pressed the button for their floor and held the door for their teammates who had also decided to call it a night.

“Anyone wanna do some recovery and watch the Office in my room for a bit before bed?” Julie asked as Christen leaned back into Tobin. 

Christen lifted her head from Tobin’s shoulder so that her lips were pressed against the shell of Tobin’s ear. “I know how much you love the Office,” Christen whispered, her voice low and raspy. “So it’s fine with me if you go, but I can think of something better,” she teased, nipping just below Tobin’s ear for good measure.

In an attempt to avoid showing just how flustered she was, Tobin raised her arms above her head and let out a huge yawn. Dropping her hands back down to her sides, she answered Julie, “I think we’re just gonna call it a night. But don’t watch any of the good ones, I don’t wanna miss them.”

Julie chuckled just as the elevator dinged. The doors opened and the rest of the girls made their way out, leaving Chris and Tobin, who were staying another floor up.

“Goodnight, guys!” Julie called back into the elevator with a wink as she sent them on their way.

With the doors closed again, leaving them truly alone for the first time since early that morning, Tobin took the opportunity to shift her hand, which had been resting innocently at her side, over to Christen’s butt, earning her a squeal and a light smack on the arm. Before they knew it, the doors had opened once again and they started down the hall toward their room, Christen swinging their hands between them.

\---

Standing outside their hotel room, Christen started looking through her purse for their room key when she felt Tobin’s arms wrap around her waist.

“Have I ever told you that you’re beautiful?” Tobin breathed into Christen’s ear.

Leaning her head back and closing her eyes, Christen replied, “I think so? But I can’t be sure, so maybe you should try again. You know, just in case?”

“You’re beautiful.”

Finally finding the key, Christen swung around and wrapped one arm around Tobin’s neck as she used the other to hold the key against the door. Pulling Tobin toward her she pushed the door open behind her and stepped back into their room. Letting the door swing closed behind them, Christen caught Tobin’s gaze and tilted her head forward. With their faces barely an inch apart, Christen glanced down at Tobin’s lips and responded, “So are you,” before brushing a feather light kiss on Tobin’s cheek and turning away toward the bathroom.

“Ugh, you’re such a tease!” Tobin whined as she followed Christen.

“Maybe, but you love me anyway,” Christen laughed as she grabbed her toothbrush and toothpaste.

When Tobin stepped out of the bathroom a few minutes later, Christen was sitting in her bed with the covers turned down, wearing her glasses and reading. 

“I thought you promised me something more fun than the Office,” Tobin said as she plopped down on the bed, knocking Chris’s book out of her hand.

“You’re not wrong,” Christen shrugged as she placed her glasses and her book on the bedside table. “Come here, I want to show you something.”

Tobin leaned over, “What?”

“No, come closer.”

“Okay,” she said as she moved all the way over to the part of the bed where Chris was sitting.

“Give me your hand.”

Tobin lifted her left hand up toward Chris who bent down and placed a gentle kiss on her finger tips. “I love you,” she breathed over and over again as she kissed her way up Tobin’s arm, stopping when got to the sleeve of her t-shirt. She could hear Tobin’s heart rate getting faster as she ghosted her fingers over her thigh and began playing with the hem of her shirt. “Do you know how much?” she whispered as she moved her lips from Tobin’s shoulder to the side of her neck. “Because I’d really like to show you,” she added as she nipped at the skin just below her ear. 

“Chris,” Tobin struggled to say as Christen continued to bite down the side of her neck, “if you don’t start showing me soon, I’m not sure I’ll make it.”

“Make it where?” Christen chided softly, running her fingers along the waistband of Tobin’s sleep shorts under her shirt.

“Anywhere, like ever, if you don’t stop teasing.”

“I thought you liked teasing,” Christen replied, feigning innocence, and drawing circles over the part of Tobin’s midriff she had exposed. Just as Tobin opened her mouth to reply, Christen slipped her hand down into Tobin’s shorts and slid her finger under the seam of her underwear. “Because it certainly feels like you do,” she chuckled as she pulled her hand back and held her glistening fingers out for Tobin to see before taking them into her mouth.

“You know what else I love about you?” she asked Tobin, whose eyes were now screwed shut praying that the waiting would be over soon. Then Tobin felt the bed shift under her and the weight of Christen’s arms on her legs, “You taste so good.”

Not able to wait any longer, Tobin threaded her fingers through Christen’s curls and pushed her head down, hoping that this would do the trick.

\---

Tobin sat up in bed and grabbed her phone to check the time. It was just after 7am but Chris was already bustling around the room packing up their things.

“Babe, why are you up already?”

“I wanted to take some time to meditate before I took you out for coffee. Y’know, to clear my head and make sure I’m honest with myself so I can be honest with you.”

Tobin slid out of bed and padded over to the desk where Christen was laying out everything they’d need for the day ahead and looped her arms around Christen’s waist. “Thank you,” she said placing a kiss on Chris’s shoulder, “but I still think you should come back to bed.”

“Oh, do you? I wonder why,” Christen rolled her eyes. “Get dressed so we can go and won’t have to rush to check out when we get back.”

Tobin hummed in agreement before unwrapping herself from Christen and walking over to her suitcase. She grabbed the first t-shirt she could but put it back, reminding herself that they were about to have an important conversation and maybe she should try to dress appropriately for the occasion. She decided instead on a grey short-sleeved button down and then moved to brush her hair, hoping Christen would notice the extra effort.

When Christen emerged from the bathroom, having put on her makeup for the day, she looked over to see Tobin fiddling with her hair and a small smile spread across her face. Seeing how Tobin had tried reassured her that they would be okay.

“Ready to go, babe?”

“Almost,” Tobin replied as she grabbed her sunglasses and lip balm off the desk. “Ready.”

They stepped out of their room, making sure the door was shut behind them before heading toward the elevators, each trying to hide their nerves from the other.

Having lived in Chicago, Christen knew exactly which café she wanted to go to but she figured checking the best route from their hotel would be a welcomed distraction in the elevator. Seeing Christen on her phone, Tobin followed suit and neither of them looked up until they reached the sidewalk outside the hotel. 

“It’s this way,” Christen said as she looped her arm through Tobin’s to pull her along.

When they arrived at the café a few minutes later, Christen sent Tobin to an empty table at the back and made her way to the register.

You want this. You want to be with her. It’s not the end of the world if people know. They already think they know. It’s fine Christen repeated to herself, hoping to settle her nerves.

She looked up when the young barista cleared her throat and asked, “What can I get for you this morning, ma’am?”  
“One latte and one macchiato, please.”

“For here or to go?”

“For here, thanks.”

“Can I have a name for the order? Your total is $7.49.”

“Christen,” she said as she handed her card to the barista.

After she signed her name on the screen, the barista handed her card back along with a mason jar containing a pink flower. “We’ll bring your drinks over when they’re ready.”

“Great, thanks,” Christen replied with a tight lipped smile as she made her way back over to Tobin.

Sitting down across from her, she put the jar down on the table and Tobin looked up from her phone, “Wanna start now? Or wait until we have our drinks?”

“Umm, start now, I guess?” Tobin shrugged. “What I was trying to say yesterday,” Tobin said, looking down at her hands, “is that I forget to think about it. Like, being with you is so normal. And then we’re in public, or at a game, and all of a sudden I have to keep reminding myself not to touch you. And then I forget and you give me that look and I start freaking out. Like that you’re gonna leave me because I don’t know how to behave, or you think that I don’t take your concerns seriously…” she trailed off, needing to take a second to breathe.

Christen reached across the table to take Tobin’s hand. Just as she opened her mouth to respond, the barista showed up with their drinks and placed them down on the table and Christen was grateful for the momentary interruption. 

She took a sip of her coffee and then set the cup back down and waited until Tobin looked up at her. “I never want you to think that I would leave you or trust you less because of you showing me that you love me. I spend so much time reminding myself not to stare at you too long or not to reach for your hand when we’re walking next to each other at a game. At first, I thought it made a lot of sense.” She looked down at her coffee, not wanting Tobin to see her shame as her words tumbled out in one breath, “Our relationship was new and what if it didn’t work out? How awkward, to be public about a relationship for the first time just to have it end and have to explain that to everyone while still being on the same team and having so many of the same friends? And then we’d been together for two years and we were so in the habit of hiding that I started to think it was normal and that it would just always have to be this way until we retired. But that’s not what I want. I want you. I want to be with you. And it’s not really either of our style to be public about it but I don’t want other people’s ideas and expectations to keep me from holding your hand anymore. Obviously we’ll need to be professional about it, but plenty of people do it.” Chris looked up again and saw that Tobin had tears in her eyes. “I’m ready, and if you are too, then let’s do this thing?”

“Chris,” Tobin let out a sigh of relief, “you have no idea how grateful I am to hear you say that. Well, maybe you do. But thank you. I feel like I can finally breathe.”

They let the stress slip away and enjoyed each other’s presence as they finished their drinks.

When they were done, Christen stood and held out her hand, “Ready to go, babe?” she winked.

“Ready!” replied Tobin, a huge smile spreading across her face.

They took their time walking to the door, hand in hand, a little nervous, but together and ready to face the world, moving forward one step at a time.


End file.
